HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Singal, R. Articles by Grimes, S. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Singal, R. Articles by Grimes, S. R. Agricola Articles by Singal, R. Articles by Grimes, S. R.

Testis-Specific Histone H1t Gene Is Hypermethylated in Nongerminal Cells in the Mouse¹

^a Research Service (151), Overton Brooks Veterans Administration Medical Center, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101-4295 ^b Department of Medicine, Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130-3932 ^c Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Health Science Center, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130-3932

ABSTRACT

The testis-specific histone H1t gene is expressed only in pachytene primary spermatocytes during spermatogenesis. There is a correlation between the specific binding of testis nuclear proteins to a rat histone H1t promoter sequence, designated the H1t/TE element, and the onset of transcription in primary spermatocytes. Our laboratory has shown that mice bearing the rat gene with a deletion of the TE promoter element and replacement with a heterologous stuffer DNA fragment fail to express the rat H1t transgene in any tissue. In this study we report that five CpGs located within the H1t proximal promoter, including two CpGs located within the essential TE promoter element, contain unmethylated cytosines in vivo in genomic DNA derived from primary spermatocytes where the H1t gene is expressed. All seven CpGs are hypermethylated in vivo in genomic DNA derived from liver cells where gene expression is repressed. Further, in vitro methylation of an H1t promoter-driven reporter plasmid markedly reduced expression in a transient transfection assay system. These results suggest that cytosine methylation may contribute to the transcriptional silencing of the testis-specific histone H1t gene in nonexpressing tissues such as liver.

FOOTNOTES

First decision: 15 May 2000.

¹ This research was supported by Merit Review grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs (S.R.G. and R.S.) and by National Institutes of Health grant HD29381 (S.R.G.).

² Correspondence: Sidney R. Grimes, Medical Research Service (151), Overton Brooks Veterans Administration Medical Center, 510 E. Stoner Ave., Shreveport, LA 71101-4295. FAX: 318 429 5733; srgrimes{at}prysm.net

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Maeda, S. Sato, N. Hattori, S. Tanaka, S. Yagi, and K. Shiota DNA Hypomethylation Circuit of the Mouse Oocyte-Specific Histone H1foo Gene in Female Germ Cell Lineage Biol Reprod, May 1, 2008; 78(5): 816 - 821. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Hisano, H. Ohta, Y. Nishimune, and M. Nozaki Methylation of CpG dinucleotides in the open reading frame of a testicular germ cell-specific intronless gene, Tact1/Actl7b, represses its expression in somatic cells Nucleic Acids Res., August 15, 2003; 31(16): 4797 - 4804. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. A. Wolfe and S. R. Grimes Specific Binding of Nuclear Proteins to a Bifunctional Promoter Element Upstream of the H1/AC Box of the Testis-Specific Histone H1t Gene Biol Reprod, June 1, 2003; 68(6): 2267 - 2273. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. C. Wilkerson, S. A. Wolfe, and S. R. Grimes H1t/GC-Box and H1t/TE1 Element Are Essential for Promoter Activity of the Testis-Specific Histone H1t Gene Biol Reprod, October 1, 2002; 67(4): 1157 - 1164. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]